News & Events | News

Thursday 22nd May 2008

European law firm SJ Berwin LLP's Planning and Environment Group have been instructed by BARD (Better Accessible and Responsible Development) Campaign to represent it in challenging the Government's shortlisting of an ex-MOD site and surrounding private land at Long Marston, Warwickshire/Worcestershire  - in countryside six miles from Stratford-upon-Avon - as the potential site for a development of 6,000 homes. The name given to the site by the promoters is "Middle Quinton".

The Government shortlisted 15 out of 57 potential sites in its April 2008 "eco-towns" consultation paper and is looking to arrive at a final list of ten. The deadline for representations is 30 June.

SJ Berwin has sent a formal pre-action letter to the Government as a first step towards formal judicial review proceedings.

The BARD Campaign’s position is that the consultation process is flawed. A number of issues of principle have been already decided upon by the Government without consultation and without reasons having been given. Little or no information has been provided as to the 15 sites which are in contention for selection. The Government has indicated that "preliminary views" are being sought at this stage although it appears from the timetable laid down that in fact any future consultation will be on matters of detail rather than principle. BARD Campaign regards Long Marston as particularly inappropriate for major development, given historic policies restraining development and given the remoteness of the site from Stratford-upon-Avon or other centres.

Simon Ricketts, head of planning and environment at SJ Berwin LLP said:

"To those involved in planning the way that the "eco-towns" programme is being approached is unprecedented and raises enormous concerns as to fairness. The Government's reforms of the planning system have been aimed at ensuring more consultation, more community involvement and a new system of regional and local plan making based on a robust evidence base and a test of "soundness". But the eco-towns competition cuts across every element of this. 10 sites are going to win the competition, their prize being to be named in a national policy statement. Regional and local plans will then need to be reviewed to include them although by the time the sites are in the policy statement it will be too late for any consultation on matters of principle.  The well-publicised concerns of BARD Campaign members living in the villages surrounding the Long Marston site are a particular instance of the uncertainty that the April short-listing document is creating".

For further information relating to SJ Berwin please contact:

Simon Ricketts, Partner on +44 (0)20 7111 2768, email simon.ricketts@sjberwin.com  

Jodie Yates, Business Development Assistant  on +44 (0)20 7111 5907, email jodie.yates@sjberwin.com          

For further information relating to BARD please contact:

Melanie Riley, Bell-Yard Communications on +44 (0)20 7936 2021or Melanie@bell-yard.com

Notes to Editors:

SJ Berwin LLP

• On 1 June 2005 SJ Berwin LLP, an English limited liability partnership, took over the business of the SJ Berwin general partnership.  SJ Berwin LLP or an affiliated undertaking has an office in Berlin, Brussels, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris and Turin.
• SJ Berwin LLP was named ‘UK Firm of the Year’ at the Global Chambers Awards 2007 and Private Equity Team of the Year at the Financial News Legal Awards 2007. 
• SJ Berwin's Real Estate Division totals 150 staff  in London of which 23 are partners (3 of which are tax partners), and over 70 associates, encompassing the disciplines of Commercial Real Estate, Construction, Planning & Environment, Property Litigation, Real Estate Funds and Tax.  In addition there are 3 partners specialising in real estate in our Continental European offices.  There is an increasing emphasis on cross departmental activity with related areas of Banking and Corporate and also cross border / pan European real estate work, with our European offices.  The division acts for blue chip clients including British Land, Royal Bank of Scotland, the Hilton Group, Brixton plc, AXA, The Crown Estate, Marks & Spencer and Gazeley.
• The Real Estate Team was Legal Business Real Estate Team of the Year 2005.  It was also named "Real Estate Team of the Year" in the Lawyer Magazine Awards 2004, following its advice on the RBS/Canary Wharf transaction, the highest-value property investment transaction in the UK in 2004.  It was shortlisted Real Estate team of the Year in this year’s British Legal awards.
• Revenue from Real Estate represents approximately 21% of the firm's total revenue in London.
• For more information on BARD (Better Accessible and Responsible Development) Campagin, please visit the website http://www.bardcampaign.org